Watch the Birdie! Ruffle pendant tutorial.

Hi, everybody! Last month, spending a family weekend in the Eastern Washington desert, I had the following conversation with my brother.

Eric: Hey, Mich! On the way back from the grocery store I noticed a Dollar Store in town. I think it might be having a going-out-of-business sale.
Mich: (cool as a cucumber) Oh, I see. How interesting. (faints from excitement.)

Eventually, after being revived, I rushed out to that sale and had my way with it.  It was the final day, and nearly everything was priced 5-for-a-dollar. I'm dying to show you some of what I bought - and some of the wack-a-doo things I made. First ingredient:

Badminton birdies! I created several different kinds of jewelry from these. Starting with a fun pendant idea. Here comes the tutorial - follow along, now!

Snip the center section away from the rest. Then remove a little piece to open up the circle, leaving you with a strip of plastic lace. This pic shows the steps:

Next, make a wrapped loop at one end of some craft wire. Then weave the wire through the top edge of the lacy strip. Like this:

Now squoosh it up tight so you have a ruffle. Make another wrapped loop to hold the ruffle in place. You will end up with...

...a fabulous, funkycool, plastic ruffled pendant! I like it just as is. Hang it on a neckwire, chain, ribbon or cord. Tres hip!

But this piece is also a wonderful blank slate to embellish. Change it up, be creative! It is so much fun to style! I like the strange sort of winged effect it gives to just about anything.

You could go girly, with a silver pendant...

Romantic, with an angel...

Even practical, with a pretty timepiece!

Okay, those were cute. But come on, people! We're talking badminton birdie jewelry. I prefer it styled with a little edge.

How's about some petroglyphs?

Or way too many rhinestones?

Something for the Mahjongg ladies.

This one is the bobble end of a vintage elastic hair tie:


Hindu goddess, anyone?


These are some shrinky-dinks I made from #6 plastic:


And this one...well, let's just call it 'other.'


There you have it: Badminton Birdie Project the first. More later! Stay tuned.